Department for Transport

Roads: Lancashire

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the total funding provided to Lancashire County Council for pothole repairs in each of the last three years.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport is allocating £6.6 billion between 2015/16 and 2020/21 to local highway authorities for local highway maintenance funding, including for the repair of potholes or to stop them forming. From this, it has allocated Lancashire County Council the following funding over the last three years:YearFunding Stream £ M 2017//18Highways Maintenance Block (including incentive element)22.4872017/18Pothole Action Fund2.9132018/19Highways Maintenance Block (including incentive element)22.4652018/19Pothole Action Fund1.2272018/19*Budget £420 million10.2292019/20Highways Maintenance Block (including incentive element)22.4342019/20Pothole Action Fund0.621Total 82.376*In the Budget, the Chancellor provided local highway authorities in England an additional £420m for highway maintenance.

A2: Garages and Petrol Stations

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the proposed sale of Tollgate Hotel Watling Street Gravesend Kent DA13 9RA to BP Oil UK Limited, what information his Department holds on proposals to re-market the property for sale as a result of the seven-year delay in BP securing planning on that site.

Jesse Norman: Highways England entered into a conditional contract with BP for the sale of Tollgate Hotel which was conditional on planning permission being granted for development. The planning applications submitted have been subject to a number of judicial reviews, which has delayed the sale. As a result, Highways England have now agreed with BP to move to an unconditional contract, which means the sale will no longer be dependent on gaining planning permission and Highways England will now be able to progress the sale. Given that Highways England will be entering into a new unconditional contract with BP for the sale of the property, they have no plans to remarket at this time.

Heathrow Airport

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,  what estimate he has made of the number of people affected by the proposals for airspace change at Heathrow.

Jesse Norman: The precise noise impacts will depend on the final flight path designs which must be approved through the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Change Process. As part of this regulatory process, Heathrow will need to provide detailed assessments of the number of people who are expected to be affected by its airspace proposals, including the number of newly affected people as well as those who may benefit. These assessments will form part of the information the airport will include in its formal airspace change process consultations.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the process is by which the civil and criminal legal aid means test thresholds have been evaluated since they were last reviewed and uprated in 2008 and 2009.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 17 April 2019



The financial thresholds for civil and criminal legal aid were reviewed by MoJ Ministers in January 2010, March 2011 and March 2016, following advice from officials. Separately, the means test thresholds were reviewed at official level within MoJ in January 2012 and between October 2013 and January 2014.The Legal Aid Means Test Review, announced by MoJ in February 2019, will be studying the thresholds for legal aid entitlement, including the effectiveness with which the means testing arrangements appropriately protect access to justice, particularly for the vulnerable. As part of the review process, we will evaluate a wide range of evidence from both within and outside of government, liaising with experts from across the field to explore any improvements to the system.Upon conclusion of the review, expected by summer 2020, we will publish a full consultation paper setting out our future policy proposals in this area. We will seek to implement any final recommendations as soon as practicable following public consultation.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to ensure that prisoners are not released without providing them with suitable accommodation.

Edward Argar: It is vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere stable and secure to live. Having somewhere stable to live acts as a platform for ex-offenders to be able to access the services and support needed to turn their back on crime for good. Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and the National Probation Service (NPS) are required to facilitate access to housing for the offenders that they are managing. This includes working together with local partners to help offenders find and maintain accommodation as part of a package of support tailored to meet their individual needs.We are investing an additional £22m per annum over the remaining life of the CRC contracts to ensure that CRCs deliver an enhanced Through The Gate service to offenders leaving prison. Alongside this investment we have introduced a new Through the Gate specification which will ensure that CRCs complete specific tasks, including to help every prisoner to secure and maintain settled accommodation. As part of the Government initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping across England, we are investing up to £6.4 million over two years in a pilot scheme to help ex-offenders into accommodation from three prisons, namely Bristol, Pentonville and Leeds. The pilots will focus on male prisoners who have served shorter sentences and have been identified as having a risk of homelessness. We have launched our Invitation to Tender, to secure suppliers in the three pilot areas, and aim to award contracts in late April 2019. This is a concrete step in our commitment to tackling rough sleeping.  .

Wellingborough Prison: Contracts

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 8 of the Prison Operator Competition Brochure, published by HM Prison & Probation Service in November 2018, what new requirements have been developed for HMP Wellingborough.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 9 of the Prison Operator Competition Brochure, published by HM Prison & Probation Service in November 2018, what the 700+ requirements that bidders will be expected to navigate are.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 9 of the Prison Operator Competition Brochure, published by HM Prison & Probation Service in November 2018, what the bespoke set of requirements for the first call off are.

Edward Argar: Under the Prison Operator Services Framework Competition, bidders will be expected to comply with and deliver all of the requirements that are set out in the published Custodial Service Specifications, together with a bespoke set of requirements created for the first call-off competition for the new Resettlement Prison at Wellingborough. These bespoke requirements take into account the function and design of the new prison, and are intended to enhance service delivery and drive successful resettlement outcomes. I have placed the attached Contract Summary in the library of the House

Prisons: Contracts

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 8 of the Prison Operator Competition Brochure, published by HM Prison & Probation Service in November 2018, what Quality Points will be used in the evaluation of call-off competitions.

Edward Argar: As referenced on page 8 of the Prison Operator Competition Brochure the criteria for the qualitative assessment of bids have not been finalised. However, they will include, but will not be limited to, questions on custodial services, operational resources, property and facilities management, mobilisation, commercial and finance. There will also be an assessment of price.

Offenders: Females

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to improve the management of female offenders in the criminal justice system.

Edward Argar: In June 2018, the Government published its Female Offender Strategy which set out the vision to see fewer women coming into the criminal justice system, a greater proportion managed successfully in the community, and better conditions for those in custody. Since publishing the strategy, the Government has invested £5m to support community provision for female offenders and women at risk of offending. In December 2018, we published updated operational instruction and guidance with the ‘Women’s Policy Framework’ and we plan to publish a national concordat on female offenders this summer. In the strategy we committed to developing a ‘residential women’s centre’ pilot in at least 5 sites across England and Wales. We have recently concluded our first phase of consultation with stakeholders, partners and providers to inform our scoping and will continue to consult with partners as we refine the design and delivery of the pilot. We also look forward to receiving the findings and recommendations from Lord Farmer’s review on the importance of family ties for women in custody and community, which is due to be reported to Ministers in the coming weeks.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Habitual Residence Test

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applicants for universal credit were subject to the habitual residency test in 2018; what proportion of those applications passed that test; and what the average time taken was to make a determination.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Ethnic Groups

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2019 to Question 203453 on Mental Health Services: Ethnic Groups, if he will publish a time-frame for the Department’s plan to appoint a mental health equalities champion.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has appointed Jacqui Dyer MBE as the Mental Health Equalities Champion. She took up her appointment on 22 February 2019.

Mental Health Services: Hearing Impairment

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that deaf people are able to access appropriate, specialist mental health services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England commissions specialised mental health services for children, young people and adults who are deaf. These include inpatient and outreach services for children and young people and services for adults who require inpatient care, including care in secure mental health services.Access to services is based on a clinical assessment of need and conducted with the support and involvement of clinicians, including consultant psychiatrists and mental health nurses, with the skills and experience of working with deaf people with mental illness and are able to communicate using British Sign Language where needed.To further develop these services, the Specialised Mental Health Clinical Reference Group provides advice and support to NHS England about improving commissioning, including through service specifications and quality schemes.

Mental Illness: Children

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to support the parents of children with mental illness in order that they are still able to work.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government recognises the challenges of combining work and care. In June 2018 we published an action plan setting out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support carers over the next two years. That includes action to support employers to improve working practices and to help carers to stay in work and return to work, as well as improving advice on financial support.Employees already have the right to request flexible working, to take a reasonable amount of time off from work to deal with an emergency involving a child or dependant and to take unpaid parental leave. We are also considering creating a duty for employers to determine whether a job can be done flexibly, and make that clear when advertising.Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we continue to prioritise mental health in the National Health Service and are investing in improving early intervention and access to services. We are also implementing new mental health services in schools and colleges as announced in the Green Paper on Children and Young People’s Mental Health.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Climate Change and Environment Protection: Education

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the teaching of (a) environmental protection and (b) climate change in schools.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, published in January 2018, sets out the ambition to improve the environment within a generation. As part of the plan the Department for Education (DfE) has worked with Defra and Natural England on the Children and Nature Programme, a £10 million programme which aims to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to have better access to the natural environment. The programme has been designed to make it possible for schools to undertake a range of activities in natural spaces, such as learning about nature and how to care for the natural environment. This programme complements the scope that already exists to study environmental issues throughout the curriculum, in particular in science and geography lessons. Defra and the DfE regularly work together on ways to make children aware of issues that impact on the environment and how they can help tackle them. There is scope to study environmental issues throughout the curriculum. For example, in primary school science, pupils are taught that environments can change and this can pose a danger to living things. In geography at key stage 3, pupils will look at how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate. In GCSE, science pupils will consider the evidence and uncertainties in evidence, for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change. In 2017, we introduced new environmental science A level for those students who want to study this area of science in more detail.

Seas and Oceans: Conservation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve global ocean conservation.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The UK is working both domestically and internationally to improve global ocean conservation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG14. Internationally, we are leading calls to protect 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. We are on track to protect 4 million square kilometres of ocean across our Overseas Territories by 2020, and are backing an Ascension Island bid to protect 100% of its offshore waters. To support achievement of the “30by30” target, the UK is working hard to secure the agreement of a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction in 2020. Domestically, 36% of English inshore and offshore waters are protected within Marine Protected Areas. In addition, we have consulted on a further 41 Marine Conservation Zones. Sites to be designated will be in place by 7 June.  We are also working to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean and are leading global efforts to tackle the problem through our support of the G7 Oceans Plastics Charter, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy and the Commonwealth Blue Charter. In April 2018, we launched the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance (CCOA), which we co-lead with Vanuatu. The CCOA encourages its 25 member countries to take steps to eliminate avoidable single-use plastics, significantly reduce single use plastic carrier bags by 2021 and implement a ban of microbeads in rinse-off personal care products by 2021. The Government’s forthcoming International Ocean Strategy will set out our plan to work with our international partners to secure a sustainable, prosperous and secure ocean future.

Boats

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what impact assessment has been undertaken to examine the effect of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals for older passenger boats on trends in the level of Environment Agency lock fees.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency’s (EA) boat registration charge proposals for 2019-2021 were approved by Ministers in October 2018, before the Maritime and Coastguard Agency published its consultation on proposed amendments to the technical requirements applicable to UK domestic passenger vessels. EA charge proposals from 2021 will be subject to a full public consultation and also a business impact target assessment. The EA has committed to involving stakeholders in developing these proposals, in particular engaging the marine trade, through British Marine – the UK industry body which represents the interests of passenger boat operators.

Flood Control: Fylde

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of houses protected in the Fylde constituency as a result of (a) work done to Dock Road pumping station and (b) the Church Scar Coast Protection Scheme.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The number of houses better protected from flooding as a result of (a) work done to Dock Road pumping station is 652 and (b) the Church Scar Coast Protection Scheme is 2,347.

Flood Control: Lancashire

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 218283, what funding has been allocated to the flood defence works in that Answer and related works in (a) the Fylde Coast and (b) Lancashire.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Funding has been allocated as follows to the flood defence works referenced in the answer of 7 February 2019 to PQ 218283: £22,000 to the completed embankment improvements to the south of Moss Side, and £15,000 to embankment improvements to the north of Moss Side, which are planned for April 2019.£138,000 for forecast maintenance costs in 2019/20 in areas such as Main Drain and Liggard Brook, including £57,000 for channel maintenance and £81,000 operating costs for pumping stations and tidal outfalls.Over £20 million to the Fairhaven and Church Scar Coast Protection Scheme.£1.2 million to the Starr Hill Sand Dunes project. The Environment Agency is delivering a joint capital programme with other Risk Management Authorities to better protect over 34,000 homes from flooding in Lancashire between 2015 and 2021 at an estimated cost of £100 million. This programme has already delivered better protection to nearly 28,000 homes and over 1,000 businesses. In addition to the capital programme, in 2018/19 £3 million was allocated in Lancashire for maintaining flood risk assets such as flood basins and embankments. This level of investment is expected to continue until 2021 to ensure these assets are in the right condition to protect people and homes.

Public Footpaths: Bicycles

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will provide guidance on the rights of cyclists to walk a bicycle along a public footpath.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There are no current plans to provide guidance of this nature. Management of rights of way, including footpaths, rests with the relevant local authority. The expectation is for local authorities, whenever possible, to look at the needs of all users including cyclists.

Waste Disposal: Licensing

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to strengthen the powers the environment agency has to determine whether a person or a company is fit and proper to be granted a licence regarding the disposal or incineration of waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Last year the Government committed to implementing measures to raise the standard of operator competence at permitted waste sites by strengthening the Environment Agency’s assessment and enforcement powers. www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reducing-crime-at-sites-handling-waste-and-introducing-fixed-penalties-for-waste-duty-of-care/outcome/government-response We are now delivering on these published commitments. In January we passed legislation requiring all waste facilities to have a written management plan to minimise the risks of pollution to the environment. www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1227/part/3/made In March we widened the scope of past offences the Environment Agency can consider when assessing competence for applications for waste facility permits: www.gov.uk/government/publications/relevant-conviction-guidance-for-permit-applications-for-waste-activities-and-installations-only/relevant-convictions-for-waste-environmental-permits In the coming months we will update Core Guidance to strengthen the Environment Agency’s enforcement capabilities when considering operators’ past performance. Further measures to tackle crime and low levels of performance in the waste industry are set out in our Resources and Waste Strategy.